Episode 112: The Extraordinary Case of El Azul

Juan Jose Esparragoza Moreno, aka El Azul, may not be the most known of the drug traffickers in Mexico's cartel history but he had one of the most interesting careers, which I discuss in this Episode. Born in the same town as El Chapo, El Azul worked for the DFS, is credited as being a leader in the so-called Guadalajara Cartel, and was jailed for his involvement in the murder of Agent Kiki Camarena. After his release from jail, El Azul worked in the Juarez Cartel alongside Amado Carrillo Fuentes, was said to be a consigliere to El Chapo, a friend of El Mayo, and a leader in CDS. Everywhere he went he was a negotiator and mediator, earning the monicker the "Peacemaker" from US investigators.   Finally, his reported death in 2014 remains shrouded in controversy, much like that of his former mentor Carillo Fuentes.